COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The reports of hateful and violent posts on Facebook started pouring in on the night of May 28 last year, soon after then-President Donald Trump sent a warning on social media that looters in Minneapolis would be shot.

It had been three days since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for more than eight minutes until the 46-year-old Black man lost consciousness, showing no signs of life. A video taken by a bystander had been viewed millions of times online. Protests had taken over Minnesotas largest city and would soon spread throughout cities across America.

But it wasnt until after Trump posted about Floyds death that the reports of violence and hate speech increased rapidly on Facebook across the country, an internal company analysis of the ex-presidents social media post reveals .

These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd and I wont let that happen, Trump wrote at 9:53 a.m. on May 28 from his Twitter and Facebook accounts. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts the shooting starts! The former president has since been suspended from both Twitter and Facebook.